Say hey to Lisa (@ICrochetSoHard) - our Ribblr of the week and the designer behind I Crochet So Hard!
Hi Lisa! Tell us a little about yourself 
Hi! My name is Lisa and I live in rainy Portland, Oregon with my husband & 3 kids. I am a native Oregonian and enjoy spending time in the mountains, reading, and crocheting (of course!).
When did you start crafting and how?
I learned to crochet in the Girl Scouts when I was about 10. I have been crocheting on and off since then, taking months and years off (especially during college) and coming back to it when I wanted to make a special gift. I had an Etsy shop with finished products and did craft shows when my girls were little too. I really enjoyed it but I had to give my day job and my kids more attention.
And how did you start designing?
I came back to crochet during the pandemic lockdowns for anxiety relief. When other people were hoarding toilet paper, I was stockpiling yarn, hooks & patterns! I just fell in love with it all over again. As I crocheted consistently for 9 months, I started to have a desire to re-think crochet as a business. I had designed things for myself and for gifts, but had never attempted to write a pattern out. I binged podcasts, YouTube videos and blogs about making a living with a creative business. I signed up for Instagram in Dec. 2020, started signing up for pattern tests for designers in the spring, created and published my website in May 2021, and put out my first pattern test call in July 2021. My first two patterns were published in September 2021. I was so happy, I can’t even describe the joy to see all that work and hours of research come to life.
Well done - what a great journey!
Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
My absolute favorite craft is crochet, but I think I have done just about everything except learn to knit. I have done cardmaking, sewing, painting, oil pastels, and all kinds of DYI home decor projects. One of my favorites was putting sand in glass bottle along with a few shells and a favorite picture of my dad with my daughters.
That’s awesome! And what are you working on currently? 
I’m working on a secret pattern project - it’s a collaboration for a bundle with two other fantastic designers. I have swatched for hours and hours and finally have a design finalized. It’s coming in February 2022!
Which of your designs are you most proud of?
Love all of my patterns, but my favorite is the Meredith Purse and its sister the Angela Phone Pouch. The Meredith Purse was my first ever design that I attempted to write, and it was just an inspired moment like a lightning bolt when the idea came to me. They share many of the same elements, but one is more compact and the larger purse has compartments!
What is your usual process of designing?
I like to wait until inspiration strikes me, rather than giving myself a goal or a deadline. When inspiration strikes, I do one of two things: Grab yarn and a hook to try and make a sample, or grab my colored pencils and sketch it out if I don’t have the materials on hand. Then I chew on it for a while and see if there is anything that would improve it or make it better, or finalize the design and start taking photos and putting the pattern together.
What inspires you to create and design? 
I’m not really sure. I know one thing that helps the process is silence/alone time. When my brain has time to step away from the chores/work/busyness that is in front of me, that’s when I usually have the ability to dream about ideas. And I love products that give a solution to a problem. For example, my purse has compartments because most crochet bags are just one big black hole, and I like to be organized!
Time for some pop culture now!
Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend? 
Song: Anything by the Wailin’ Jennys. Book: I love them all. TV show: The (American) Office.
We’d love to know - what is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
I LOVE the format of the patterns. I love the whole way Ribblr was designed so you can just work along and have everything you need right there and mark your progress.
Finally, pay it forward - your shoutout to a fellow Ribblr
OK, I don’t do amigurumi but I really love following @tobeytimecrochet !
I love her Instagram stories and her personality, and the fun she has with crochet!
Thank you so much for sharing Lisa! And happy holidays 
Check out Lisa’s shop 
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